


Stay with me Leo

by RosetheAngel



Category: Midnight Cinderella (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-22
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2019-03-22 10:40:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13762389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosetheAngel/pseuds/RosetheAngel
Summary: Leo goes to confront his uncle and a fight ensues. The princess shows up and fights his uncle, but is gravely injured.





	Stay with me Leo

Leo had pursued his uncle all the way to the burned down Crawford manor. His uncle had stopped here for God only knows why. Perhaps Lord Crawford wanted to relive that fateful night when he killed his brother and his sister-in-law? Was he here to gloat in satisfaction that he had yet to be caught? Leo didn't care the reason. He was so close to his ultimate goal: revenge. How he would pay. Leo would make sure of it. As he rounded the remnants of the stone fence that was just outside the main building of the manor, he sees his uncle, bent down, examining the ashes of his misdeeds. 

“Uncle!!” Leo Bellowed, with disdain dripping from his lips and rage emanating from his crimson eyes. Leo unsheathed his sword. This was the moment he had waited so long for, and he was going to make sure this time, this time, justice would be served. 

His uncle slowly stood up and turned towards his nephew. “Fancy meeting you here Leo. To what do I owe the pleasure?” The sickeningly sweet tone in his voice chilled the air. 

“You know damned well why I'm here” Leo said with a gaze sharper than his sword. 

“I'm starting to feel all nostalgic now Leo.” Lord Crawford said with a sadistic smile. “Mmmm, yes. It was just like this. Your father staring me down with his sword. Same fire in his eyes, after seeing what I had done to your mother.” He said with menacing laughter in his voice. His eyes narrowed, gauging Leo's reaction.

“You bastard! Leo roared. Rage overpowering all sense he had left in him, as he charged his uncle. 

“Like father like son.” Lord Crawford sighed, quickly unsheathing his sword to block the incoming blow. The sound of metal clashing rang out as Lord Crawford easily deflected Leo's blow. “That all you got Leo?” he asked dryly. 

Leo's eyes narrowed and expression went flat. “You should know this isn't going to end well Leo. All who have ever opposed me have been left in the dust to rot.” Lord Crawford stated blandly. However his eyes flashed, relishing the rage that was emanating from Leo.

'This time will be different' Leo thought, raising his sword. 

Lord Crawford raised his sword as well. “Shall we dance?” His eyes alight with mirth. Leo launched a flurry of attacks. While most were parried, he managed to land a few glancing blows. Or so he thought. Till he noticed that all his blade had managed to bite was the cloth of Lord Crawford's coat. Now it was Lord Crawford's turn to launch an attack. The onslaught of attacks managed to land a crucial blow, but only on his left shoulder. He could still fight. He could still win. With the faces of his parents held in his mind, he focused, trying to ignore the pain of the puncture in his shoulder. 

“This is how it went with her too. One wound after the other. Till all that was left was the sweet sound of her screams.” Lord Crawford said with delight in his voice. 

Leo couldn't focus anymore, as the sound of his mother's screams echoed through his mind. Leo launched at Lord Crawford, this time his sword hit its mark. A fresh streak of crimson stained the left sleeve of Lord Crawford's coat. “Not bad for a kid.” Lord Crawford smirked. 

They clashed several more times, metal ringing out, with streaks of crimson splattering the dirt. Both were wounded, though Leo was more so. Leo had collapsed into a pile of ashes, propped up by one of the darkened beams that remained of the house. He had several puncture wounds in each shoulder and a deep gash across his chest. Lord Crawford had a few puncture wounds along his left arm and a cut along his left leg. “This is where it all ends nephew. The same way it ended with your father. Propped up against a wall giving me that same look. Right before I slit his throat and let him bleed out.” Lord Crawford's voice trailed off as his kicked Leo's sword off into the neighboring field. “Any last words?” Lord Crawford asked with the grin of victory gracing his lips.

Neither of them had heard the horse beating down as the priness had ridden onto the scene. Leo's eyes were so fixated on Lord Crawford that he hadn't noticed her approaching from the rear, and Lord Crawford was far too wrapped up in his nephew's demise to hear the metal sing as it came out of its sheath. 

“I'll take that as a confession of murder Lord Crawford. By authority of the crown you are under arrest for the murder of your brother and his wife. Toss your weapon aside and lay on the ground.” The princess ordered. 

Both of them turned and yelled “Princess?!?”

A scowl painted her normally sweet face. Rage burning in her chocolate brown eyes. Her long brown hair moved behind her in the early morning breeze. Not dressed as she normally would, she was wearing a long black coat, white pants that sunk into her knee high riding boots. A brown belt crossed her waist with a pouch off the the left side. A red silk blouse rose with her every breath as she brandished her rapier that demonstrated years of practice. 

“Ah the little mouse has arrived to save her prince, how droll.” Lord Crawford sighed. 

“Don't make me repeat myself.” She said annoyed. 

“Do you want a dance too my lady?” He grinned.

“If that is what you wish Lord Crawford, then gladly.” She said in a polite tone, as she had been instructed to do as a princess at a ball. He came at her hard and fast, but she parried and dodged every blow expertly. 

“My turn, m'lord.” She quipped. A sweet smile spread across her face. She moved with lightning speed, jabbing and slashing with grace and finesse. She was almost too fast for him, as he barely managed to parry most of her attacks. Several hit their intended mark, as small circles of red started growing across Lord Crawford's coat and shirt. Her anger flared as she slashed across his face, leaving a cut from his cheek to the corner of his mouth. “I will not let you hurt my beloved any longer, nor any of the other people in my kingdom. Your reign of terror ends here.” She roared, making the same mark on his other side. 

This was the first time he had felt fear and she could see it in his eyes. “Yield!” She yelled. 

“To the likes of you? Never!” He raged as he charged her. 

“She prepared herself for the blow, moving her sword where he was headed. However, at the last second he changed direction and plowed right into her, puncturing her as the fell. She screamed in agony as Leo watched in horror. Leo tried to get up, but was instantly hit with the world turning. He sunk back against the burnt wood, despair overtaking him.

Hoof beats could be faintly heard in the distance... 

Lord Crawford was now on top of her, sword impaling her left shoulder to the ground. She let out a yell and kneed him between the legs. Her head swung forward landing a direct hit to his forehead. He let out a grunt and a whimper as the blows connected. She then bucked him off as he rolled off her side. She struggled to get the sword out of the ground, slowly rocking the blade till it finally gave way. She pulled the sword out of her shoulder as rage overtook her. “Bastard!” She yelled. 

She tossed the sword aside and lunged at him, landing on top of him, pinning him to the ground. 

The hoof beats steadily got louder...

She raised her right hand and balled it into a fist. She propelled it forward into his face as hard as she could. The connecting blow resounding with a loud thud. Again she raised her hand and swung down with all her might. This time the thud was met with a crack. She let out a guttural yell and hit him again. 

…................................................................

Giles, Alyn and two other knights came to the top of a hill overlooking the remains of the Crawford manor. “Is that the princess?” Giles gasped pointing down at the princess below. All eyes turned towards her. Leo looked pale up against some burnt wood left over from the fire, blood staining his coat and shirt. A few feet away the princess, covered in blood, was straddling Lord Crawford, beating him to a pulp in a steady rhythm. 

“Shit.” Alyn breathed, as he took off into a full gallop. 

Giles and the two knights quickly followed. Alyn rushed to his brother's side. Leo's eyes were closed and he wasn't moving. Alyn removed his gloves and gently touched Leo's neck, seeking a pulse. “Come on Leo, please...” he whispered. 

Giles and the other knights headed for the princess. The knights struggled to pull her off of Lord Crawford. “Princess, enough! He's already unconscious if not dead,” Giles yelled as he admonished her. This seemed to break the princess out of whatever had posessed her.

Tears welled up in her eyes, “Leo.....” she breahted, as she started to squirm in the hold of the knights. “Let me go!” she screamed, as the knights only tightened their hold on her. The princess had had enough. She slammed her foot on top of the foot of one of the knights and elbowed the other in one of the openings in their armor. Both let go and let out a yelp in surprise and pain.

“Really Princess?” Giles shook his head and sighed, as he grasped the bridge of his nose with his fingers. 

She ran over to Leo and Alyn. Tears dripped down Alyn's face as he turned to look at her. “I'm sorry Princess, he's gone....” Alyn barely whispered, unable to believe what he was saying. She gasped and trembled, before placing her own fingers on Leo's neck, searching, pleading for Alyn to be wrong. Her eyes lit up and she ran to her horse, grabbing gauze from one of the pouches in the saddle.

“Help me undress him.” She ordered.

“I-I don't think that'll help....” Alyn's voice trailed off.

“Who taught you first aid? He's alive you dolt!” 

A wave of emotions washed over Alyn as he was sent reeling from what she had just claimed. 

“Are you just going to sit there mouth agape, or are you going to help me Alyn?” she growled as she glared at him. Alyn's only answer was a grunt as he started to help her remove Leo's coat and shirt. Giles had been observing till now, but walked over to see what was going on.

“Princess?” Giles asked, communicating far more in one word and tone than a long drawn out conversation. 

“Have a doctor ordered for both Leo and I at the palace. Send for a carriage or other suitable transport for us as well as Lord Crawford. Have a large room set aside for Leo and I to recover in with guards outside. Arrange for medical treatment of Lord Crawford, assuming he's still alive, so that he may stand trial.” she ordered. Giles' eyes went wide as he processed what she had said, realizing that in her statement that she had admitted that she was also injured, though he did not see where. “That's an order Giles” she snapped.

“As you wish Your Highness, though I have a few questions.” he stated, his voice filled with concern. 

“That'll have to wait.” she replied quietly. She had started to feel light headed and was teetering back and forth ever so slightly. 

Giles looked at the knights and nodded, “You heard her. Go!”

“What of Lord Crawford?” one of the knights asked.

“He doesn't look like he'll be a threat in that state.” Giles sighed.

The knights nodded and took of, jumping onto their horses and took off in a full gallop. Alyn had taken over bandaging Leo as the princess just watched, though she was still crouched down to be close to Leo. Her teetering had turned into full on swaying at this point. Giles walked over to her, thinking that she was going to pass out from seeing Leo in this state, placed his hands on her shoulders to steady her. He felt the warmth and wetness of her blood on her coat. He gasped and moved his hand, seeing that it now was colored crimson. 

Leo opened his eyes to find Alyn bandaging up his various wounds. “Alyn?” Leo whispered.

“Shhh, don't talk. Just stay with me. Okay, please just stay with me.” Alyn begged.

“But.... the princess.... she's..... hurt....” he spoke in brief spurts, trying to muster what strength he could to get his brother to stop helping him and to save his beloved. Alyn's eyes went wide as he looked at the princess. She was pale and her breathing was labored. Then he noticed Giles' hand and time seemed to stop. He let out a shaky breath as the thought of losing both his brother and the princess he had sworn to protect at the same time overwhelmed him. 

Alyn watched as the princess' eyes rolled into the back of her head and she hit the ground with a low “thud” 

…..........................................................................

Two days later the princess had yet to wake up. The amount of blood she had lost was staggering and her black coat had concealed the full extent of her injuries till it was too late. Leo on the other hand, was able to move around, though he was still in a good amount of pain. He sat next to the princess' bed side, clutching onto her hand. 

She was pale and running a fever. Leo would occasionally take a wet cloth and lay it to her forehead. “Please wake up Princess. I.....I don't know what I'll do with you.” His heart ached every time she stirred in her unending sleep. His hopes would be raised, every time she would moan in her sleep, only to have them dashed as her movement ceased. “How could I have been so stupid? I should have never gone to face him alone. And you... why did you have to come and save me? Princess, I was okay with my past destroying me, but..... not, not you.” his voice cracked and his heart clenched. For the first time in as long as he could remember, tears started to fall from his eyes.

“Please stay..... I love you too much to lose you. You make my world a bright place where it's only been covered in fire and darkness. You help me sleep.... and you chase away my nightmares. Just please....” something inside him broke at last and all the hurt and pain he had been keeping inside since his parent's death came flooding out of him. He wept uncontrollably as strangled noises left him. Everything left him, the anger he felt that his uncle had killed his parents, the sorrow of not having them there to watch he and Alyn finish growing up, the guilt of not having been able to save them, and lastly the resentment he held against his younger brother for being able to cry all this time.

After what seemed like hours, Leo lifted his head, with blood shot eyes and looked at his beloved. As if finally answering his pleas, her eyes fluttered open. “Leo?” She asked with a weak yet concerned voice. 

“Princess!” his heart shot up into his throat as his eyes widened in shock. The amount of sorrow he had previously felt was now twice that in happiness. Although he thought he could cry no more, he found tears streaming down his cheeks.

“Are you crying?” she asked, in a whisper of a voice.

“I thought I had lost you forever. How could I not?” Leo chuckled lightly. 

“How could I leave you? I went through all the trouble of saving you after all. Besides, I'm far more worried about you leaving me.” She gave him a wry smile as her voice strengthened.

“I don't think you'll be able to get rid of me after this Princess.” He smiled and kissed her cheek lightly. “In fact I plan on staying with you forever.”


End file.
